Torpedo



Nov. 16, 1948.

Filed April 8, 1925 L. J. BARRY ETAL 2,453,828

TORPEDO 8 Sheets-Sheet l Jy' i.

gwventou He amyer' Nov. 16, 1948.

L. J BARRY ETAL 2,453,828

TORPEDO Filed April 8, 1925 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 L-JBar/ry I W5.He amyer L. J. BARRY ETAL Nov. 16, 1948.

TORPEDO 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 8, 1925 vweutoms Nov. 16, 1948. J. BARRY ETTAL TORPEDO Filed April 8, 1925 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 6- He am Nov. 16, 1948. L. J. BARRY ETAL TORPEDO 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed April 8, 1925 Patented Nov. 16, 1948 town, It. 1., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy This invention relatesto improvements in torpedoes and more particularly to -mechanism whereby the torpedo may be given any desired irregular course.

Heretofore, for the most part, naval torpedoes have beenequipped with means for maintaining them on a substantially straight course throughout their entire run although in some cases mechanisms have been provided for causing the torpedo to circle at the end of any desired distance. g

This latter mechanism usually consists in means for locking the steering rudder in hard over right or left position as desired,- thereby eliminating the automatic gyro steering control mechanism. r s

The present invention contemplates more particularly a mechanism for throwing out the gyro control steering mechanism at any desired point causing the torpedo to turn and travel at any-desired angle for a predetermined time after which the gyro control steering mechanism may be again restored thus causing the torpedo to zigzag or follow any predetermined revolution.

One of the objects of the present invention is,

therefore, to provide 'a' simple and practical mechanism adapted to cooperate with the vertical steering mechanism for causing the torpedo to follow any predetermined course as desired according to a predetermined setting. a

A further object is to provide a small compact mechanism which may be directly associated with the vertical steering mechanism without undue increase in weight and space.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out in connection with the accompanying sheets of drawings illustrating one of various possible embodiments of the present invention and in the several views of which corresponding parts are indicated by similar reference characters.

Inthese drawings,

Figure .1 is any assembly view showing such parts of the associated steering mechanism and control mechanism in a torpedo as is necessary to understand the same. v

Figure 2 is an elevational view with certain parts broken away of the important parts shown in Figure 1 .v

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectionalview of the control mechanism.

Application April 1925, Serial No. 21,706

1': Claims. (01. 114-24) 1 valve mechanism shown at the top of Figure 8. Figure 5 is an elevational view taken at right angles to Figure 3'.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view taken from the opposite side of Figure 3.

Figure 7 s a detailed sectional view taken 0 the line Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a detailed view of the setting mechanism at the bottom of Figure 3.

' Figure 9 is a detailed elevational view of the parts shown in Figure 'l.

Figure 10 is a detailed view of gyro cam plate.

Figure 11 is a detailed sectional view of the upper part of the reel case.

Figures 12 and 13 are detailed sectional views on the lines il-ll and i2-i2 of Figure 11.

Figure 14 is an enlarged detail view of the control tape.

Figure 1515 a series of different parts of the tape.

Figures 16, 17 and 18 are detailed diagrammatic views showing the different figures traversed by the torpedo.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, there is'indicated at 2B the supporting frameor unit adapted to carry the gyro pot and certain parts of the vertical and horizontal steering mechanism normally controlling the depth and direction of travel of the torpedo. On this fitting 20 there is mounted two depth spring casings 2i, the

similar views showing depth control engine 22, the gyro pct 23 and pallet 24. These parts are of well-known construction and require no detailed description in that they form no part of the present invention except that they may hereinafter enter into certain combinations and are merely designated to show the relative location and position of the figure run mechanism hereinafter described.

Mounted upon the fitting 20 is a main gear 2 which is adapted to be driven by a gear directly associated with the main propeller shaft. This gear 25 is mounted on a shaft 26 which extends towards the left and carries a bevel gear 21 meshing with a gear 28 on the shaft 30 carrying the pinion 3| at its lower end. This pinion meshes with a second pinion 32 to form a gear reduction. The lower part of shaft 33 upon which pinion 82 is mounted is provided with a worm 34 meshing with gear 35 on shaft 36 forming a second gear reduction. On Fig. 5 the shaft with a gear 38, Figure 3, upon a shaft 40 carrying at its end a clutch ll cooperating with a driven.

- Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view of-the mo, 5:. clutch base 42. These clutch members are norinally urged into engagement by means of a spring 43.

The driving clutch member 4| is provided with a collar 44 engaged by a bifurcated arm 45 of a bell crank lever 46, the end of which lever engages a collar 41 adapted to be moved upwardly by the setting mechanism shown at the bottom of Figure 3 and as will be hereinafter more fully described. This releases the clutch faces whereby the tape carried within the casing 48 may be set to any desired point.

The driven clutch memberis' provided with an enlarged gear 48 meshing with a tape timing sprocket gear 56 carried by an arm 5| and carrying a reel driving gear 52 as well as the timing sprocket 53 shown more clearly in Figures 6 and 7. This sprocket 53 is adapted to engage a series of perforations 54 in tape 55 whereby it is fed from reel 56, Figure 5, downwardly onto reel 51 within the reel case 49 as shown in Figure 5. The tape 55 is also provided with a second row of perforations 56 formed in any desired pattern or alignment as shown more clearly in Figures 13 and 14 which determines the course of the torpedo. This row of perforations is engaged by a spur wheel 66 carried at one end of an arm 6| pivoted to a fixed support at 62. Thus as the tape is fed the projections on the spur wheel 66 will follow the path of perforations 58 causing the lever 6| to oscillate and thereby move the opposite end 63 in and out with respect to valve casing 64. The end 63 fits between two knurled collars 65 mounted upon valve sleeve 66, the relation of these parts being more clearly shown in Figures 5 and 6.

The valve itself is shown in Figure 4 and comprises the valve shaft ll of general cylindrical shape provided with enlargements 6|66 and l6 tightly fitting within a sleeve 66 which in turn fits within the valve block 12. The member ii is provided with a longitudinal passageway 13 and port openings 14, 15 and 16. The sleeve 66 is provided with an inlet port Hand two outlet ports 18 and 66. The valve member II is normally under the control of the gyro pallet mechanism, that is, it is reciprocated according to the relative position of the pallet thereby to permit air entering the port I! through openings I5 thence into opening 14 or 16 communicating with the outlet ports 66 or I8 respectively according to whether the valve 1| is moved towards the left so as to bring ports 14 and 86 into alignment or to the right so as .to bring ports I6 and 18 into alignment. The outgoing air will operate the steering engine to cause a hard-over rudder in one direction or the other according to the port opened. This is substantially the general-operation of the steering control mechanism except for the interpositioning of the sleeve 66 which is under control of the pattern Fig. 6 as above described, for it will be seen that as this sleeve is moved to the right, for example, the port 18 in the sleeve will be out of communication with the outlet opening in the valve block and throw this into communication directly with the source of air prior to its entrance through port 11. This will maintain a hardover rudder in that direction until the sleeve is restored to normal position. Likewise if the sleeve is moved in the opposite direction, the air will pass directly out through the opening adjacent port 66 to cause a hardover rudder in the opposite direction.

In this connection reference is made to Figure 10 showing the gyro cam plate 8| with which the pallet mechanism 24 coacts. This cam plate occupies a position in space similar to that of the gyro and the torpedo body turns relative to which it is adapted to be used. For convenience of illustration, Figure 10 shows the pallet mechanism as movedrelatively to the cam plate, that is, in making angle A (a tum) as shown in Figures 16 and 18, for example, the pallet .parttoularly shifts relative to the cam plate until it reaches the position 82 by which time the tape 55 has progressed so as to bring the perforations 58 controlling' the spur gear 66 to actuate the lever 6| and restore the sleeve 66 to the position shown in Figure 4 whereupon the gyro comes into action again and the pallet comes to relative position at rest at point 63 thus maintaining the torpedo on the first reach of its pattern as shown in Figure 16. At the end of a predetermined time the tape again causes an actuation of the lever 6| to throw the sleeve 66 with its ports out of alignment and cause a return curve of the torpedo (movement of 150) or restore the pallet to the relative position indicated at 24 in Figure 10. This operation is repeated from time to time causing the torpedo to follow the zigzag course as indicated.

In Figure 17 there is shown a different form of pattern which may be accomplished by changing the gyro cam plate and tape. The same is true of Figure 18. These patterns are selected according to the maneuver being performed by the enemy fieet, as circumstances may require certain torpedoes being previously equipped and designated to follow certain patterns.

The initial run of the torpedo, of course, varies with the range of the target and it is, therefore, necessary to have this variable distance set at will to perform the desired initial torpedo run as indicated in Figure 16 plus an over-run to carry it beyond the line of travel of the fleet with a certain margin of accuracy whereupon the torpedo zigzags back and forth as indicated.

In order to. accomplish this initial setting, attention is directed particularly to Figure 3 of the drawings wherein is shown a setting shaft 64- extending downwardly through the pedestal 65 supporting the fi re run mechanism and terminating in a socket 66 on the under side of the gyro base 26, this base being shown in detail in Figure 8. The setting of this device is accomplished by inserting a square tool in the socket 86 thereby depressing the rod 84 which will disengage a ratchet clutch allowing the tape to be set for operation at any desired point as indicated upon the dial 8'! in Figure 8. This setting dial encircles the setting sprocket tube 66 and is connected to it by a system of gears consisting of a spur gear 96, a fixed internal gear 8| and an internal gear 82 cut in the hub of the index dial 81. The internal gear 92 has one more tooth than the internal gear 8| but both mesh with the spur gear 96 which is mounted upon an eccentric on the setting socket shaft 86 as shown in Figure 3. When the setting socket tube is turned through one revolution the spur gear 86 is caused to mesh with the teeth of both gears 9| and 82 and since gear 9| is fixed, gear 96 is caused to move ahead the thickness of one tooth carrying with it the setting dial 81. It will be noted that this dial is divided and marked to correspond with the general lay-out of the tape giving, for example, 15,000 yards straight run before a left figure followed by a right figure is accomplished.

. rod 84 thereby to move the bell crank lever 48 to disen -the clutch to engaged .ment of one of the reels within a drum 98 releases and a brake retards the taut. This brake consists of a Thus the straight run may the full torpedo range it desired. When it is desired to set the mechanism for the point at which the figure shall begin, a tool is inserted into the setting socket and the push pressed in, carrying with it the collar 41 age the clutch and allow the bevel gears and be t-at will up to 04 to turn and advance. or set back the tape ,through the gears 40,30 and 53, Figure 6. Upon withdrawing the setting tool the spring 43 returns tion when the propeller shalt starts to turn.

- Referring now to Figures 11, 12 and 13, showing in detail the internal construction and arrangecarrying the tape, a gear 58 is mounted upon a shaft 95 having keyed thereto a clutch hub 96,... with clutch pins 01 so arranged as to drive the drum when the clutch is rotated in a direction to roll the pins up the incline until they bind and position ready for operadetermined pattern, a member drive the drum asa unit. Since the clutch operates in one direction only, that is, in the direction that it is winding the tape, when the process is reversed during the setting operation this clutch tape to keep it spring I00 tastened to the drum I04 and presses a pad I02 against the hub IOI. As the actionpi the clutch is very positive and the driving rate of the clutch issiifiicient to wind the tape when the diameter of the coil it makes is smallest, a type of slip joint is provided to compensate for the various diameters of the COII BS the tape winds. slip joint consists of four springs I03 which encircle and cling to the rotating drum I04, the springs butt against the key I00 on the reel hub. Since the clutch drives the drum at a constant speed and the reel hub revolves at a various rate, the springs are caused to slip on the drum when the clutch and drums speed exceed that of the tape reel. v

When it is desired .to remove the reels the front plate I00 is removed by loosening screws I01,

Figure 3, after which the reels and tape may be easily removed from their respective drums. The screw I08 is loosened to carry the support I I 0 away from the spur gear and timing sprocket 53 as shown more clearly in Figures 2 and 9.

From the above it will be seen that the present invention provides acompact mechanism of reliherein set forth,

What we claim is:

1. In combination with the gyro andsteeringengine of a torpedo, a figure run device' comprising pattern means for disconnecting the gyro from the steering engine at intervals according to the pattern of said means. I

2. In combination with the gyro and steering engine of a torpdo,a. figure run device comprising a valve connected with the gyro mechanism for operating the steering engine and pattern means for actuating said valve thereby to disconnect the steering engine from the gyro Thising a valve connected 3. In combination with the yro and steering engine or a torpedo, a figure run device compriswith the gyro? mechanism for operating the stee ing engine and means for actuating said valve thereby to disconnect the steering en e from the gyro; said means including a pe oratedtape, means for moving the tape and means actuated the tape for actuating said valve.

4. In combination with thegyro and steering engine of a torpedo, a figure run device, comprising a valve connected with the gyro mechanism for operating the steering engine, a tape having a series of perforations arranged in preeng g said perforations, a pivoted lever carrying said member and moved by change in alignment'ot said perforations, said lever being connected with said valve for moving the same thereby to connect or disconnect the gyro mechanism from the steering engine according to the pattern.

5. In combination with the gyro and steering means ig'or establishing said predetermined condi .tions comprising a perforated tape, means for moving said tape and means engagin the perforations in said tape for actuating said supplemental valve sleeve.- 4 g 7. In combination with the gyro and steering engine or a torpedo, a figure run, device comprising a valve interposed between the gy o and the steeringengine, a supplemental valve associated therewith adapted to prevent operation oi the first valve under predetermined conditions and means for-determining said conditions comprising a tape, release upon which said tape is wound, means for driving said release to wind the tape from one to the other-and means actuated by said tape for controlling the relative position of said supplemental valve sleeve.

8. In combination with the gyro and steering engine of a torpedo, a figure run device comprising a valve interposed between the gyro and the steering engine, a supplemental valve associated therewith adapted to prevent operation of the first valve under predetermined conditions, means for determining said conditions comprising a tape, release upon which said tape is wound, means for driving said release to-wind the tape from'one to the other, means actuated bysaid tapefor controlling the relativeposition of said supplemental valve sleeve and means operable from the exterior of the torpedo for setting said tape thereby to cause an actuation of said supplemental valve at the end oiany predetermined initial run. I

9. In combination with the gyro and steering engine of a torpedo, a figure run device comprising a casing, two reels within said casing, aperforated tape adapted tobe wound from one reel on to the other, means connected with the propelling means of the torpedo for actuating said release, a member enga ing the perforations in by the perforations in said tape, a lever upon which said member is mounted and a sleeve valve actuated by said lever from the steering engine at intervals according to the pattern of the perforations on said tape. 10. In combination with the gyro and steering engine of a torpedo, a figure run device comprising a casing, two reels within said casing, a perforated tape adapted to be wound from one reel on to the other, means connected with the propelling means of the torpedo for actuating said release, a member engaging the perforations in said tape, a lever upon which said member is mounted, a sleeve valve actuated by said lever from the steering engine at intervals according to the pattern of the perforations on said tape and a gyro cam plate associated with the gyro and corresponding in contour to the pattern on said tape comprising two cooperating reels, a perforated tape mounted upon one reel and adapted to be wound on to the other, a train of reduction gears interposed between the propulsion means of the torpedo and said release whereby the latter are driven at a speed proportional to the speed of the torpedo, clutch mechanism associated with said reduction gearing and means for releasing said clutch whereby the tape may be set to function at the end of any predetermined initial run.

11. In combination with the gyro and steering engine of a torpedo, a figure run device comprisin a casing, two reels within said casing, a periorated tape adapted to be wound from one reel on to the other, means connected with the propelling means of the torpedo for actuating said reels, a member engaging the perforations in said tape, a lever upon which said member is mounted, a sleeve valve actuated by said lever from the steering engine at intervals according to the pattern of the perforations on said tape, a gyro cam plate associated with the gyro and corresponding in contour to the pattern on said tape, a train of reduction gears interposed between the propulsion means of the torpedo and said reels whereby the latter are driven at a speed proportional to the speed of the torpedo, clutch mechanism associated with said reduction gearing, means for releasing said clutch whereby the tape may be set to function at the end of any predetermined initial run and a valve actuated according to the pattern on said tape and adapted to disconnect the gyro from the steering engine. 12, In combination with the gyro and steering engine of a torpedo, a figure run device comprising a gyro base plate, a casing mounted thereon, reels within said casing, a perforated tape mounted upon said reels, means for feeding said tape from one reel to the other, the perforations in said tape being arranged according to a predetermined pattern, a follower adapted to cooperate with the perforations in said tape, a lever upon which said follower is mounted and a valve connected with said lever adapted to be moved in accordancewith the pattern on the tape thereby to connect or disconnect the gyro from the steering engine as and when desired.

13. In combination with the gyro and steering engine of a torpedo, a figure run device comprising a gyro base plate, a casing mounted thereon, reelswithin said casing, a perforated tape mounted upon said reels, means for feeding said tape from one reel to the other, the perforating in said tape being arranged according to a predetermined pattern, a follower adapted to cooperate with the perforations in said tape, a lever upon which said follower is mounted and a valve connected with said lever adapted to be moved in accordance with the pattern on the tape thereby to connect or disconnect the gyro'from the steerin engine as and when desired, said driving means for the reel comprising a chain of reduction gears interposed between the reels and the propulsion means of the torpedo.

14. In combination with the gyro and steering engine of a torpedo, a figure run device comprising a gyro base plate, a casing mounted thereon, reels within said casing, a perforated tape mounted upon said reels, means for feeding said tape from one reel to the other, the perforations in said tape being arranged according to a predetermined pattern, a follower adapted to cooperate with the perforations in said tape, a lever upon which said follower is mounted, a valve connected with said lever adapted to be moved in accordance with the pattern on the tape thereb to connect or disconnect the gyro from the steering engine as and when desired, said driving means for the reel comprising a chain of reduction gears interposed between the reels and the propulsion means of the torpedo and a setting device including a clutch interposed in said reduction gearing whereby the relative position of the tape on said reels may be changed at will to determine the first point of operation of said figure run device.

15. In combination with the gyro and steering engines of a torpedo, a pattern tape, and means operated thereby for disconnecting the gyro from the steering engine at predetermined intervals.

16. In combination with the gyro and steering engines of a torpedo, a pattern tape fo deviating the torpedo from its straight line course at definite predetermined intervals and for again returning the torpedo to its straight line course, and means operated 'by the tape for disconnecting the gyro and steering engines.

17. In combination with the gyro and steering engines of a torpedo, a perforated tape, means controlled thereby for disconnecting said engines from the gyro to successively alter the course of the torpedo.

. LOUIS J. BARRY.

WILLIAM S. HEGAMYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,527,775 Bevens et al Feb. 24, 1925 1,527,777 Blount Feb. 24, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 317,290 Germany Dec. 15, 1919 

